Three-card wagering system and method

ABSTRACT

A wagering event requires a first and second wager to receive a partial hand for a player position and a dealer position. After receipt of the partial hand, a play wager must be made at the player position for the event to continue to a potentially positive conclusion, or the first and second wagers are taken by the dealer position. Cards are dealt to complete the hands and poker ranks in the player hand and dealer hand are compared and wagers resolved, including by a comparison with poker ranks in a paytable.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/089,856, filed 10 Dec. 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to playing card wagering games and system for enabling execution of the wagering games.

2. Background of the Art

As a leisure time activity, poker and other card games have been popular for many years. The capital requirements for playing poker and other table card games are very low. All that are needed are one or more decks of cards, a playing surface and a few participants. Five card poker is a game that most people know how to play and many games have been developed using the same basic priority or rank order of winning poker hands: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and high card(s) in hand.

For some time, it had been difficult to adapt the rules of poker into a casino table game in which each player plays against the house, rather than against other players. Although club-type games with players wagering against each other have been popular, it was desirable for a game to be played where the house received a more direct payback from the game. In a conventional poker game, a number of players (greater than one) are each dealt a poker hand by one player (or the house dealer who does not play in the game) who acts as the dealer. The player with the highest ranking hand based on the established priority ranking of poker hands wins. Each player in turn deals a hand as the game continues. It is usually essential to have wagering steps in the game to maintain the interest and excitement of the game. In the absence of wagering, there is little to commend the play of poker.

Many places, both within and without the United States, have legalized gaming. Poker is one of the games of chance offered in both casinos and card rooms. In a conventional card room poker game, the house provides a dealer, the playing cards, the table and chairs, but the house does not play a hand. The house collects a nominal percentage of each player's bet (“the rake”) that compensates the house for providing the facilities to the players. Alternatively, the house may charge each player a set amount per hand or for a specified length of time of play. Each player is competing not against the house, but against all the other players with the highest hand winning the total of all the wagers made on that hand.

Many people do not like to play card room poker because each player is competing against his fellow players, not against the house. Many people would rather attempt to win money from an impersonal source, the house or the casino, rather than from their fellow players with whom they may be acquainted. Card room poker also tends to not offer any bonus payments for particularly good hands, although bonuses are sometimes paid for highest hands in tournaments or for specific combinations of hands at poker tables (e.g., a losing hand of at least a full house). While a Royal Flush is a rare occurrence and generates a thrill for any poker player, the player collects the same total payout that he would have collected if the hand was won with a Three-of-a-Kind.

In the past fifteen years, a number of card games have been disclosed to provide poker-type card games as house-banked casino table games. These games have focused on a number of elements in providing excitement and staying power for the games. The games must be quickly understood by players. The rules must be simple and clear. The resolution of wagers by the dealer must be easily accomplished. The reading of hands by a dealer must not be complex. In addition, the games must provide a high enough hit frequency to appeal to players, yet allow the house to retain a profitable portion of the wagers. These needs have limited the number of games that have been designed and successfully introduced into the casino gaming market.

Among the successful games are Let It Ride Bonus® poker, Three Card Poker™ game and Caribbean Stud® poker. These games have each achieved a high level of commercial success with different formats and attributes.

Let It Ride® stud poker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081. The Bonus version of the game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,424. In this game, the player makes a wager in three parts, three cards are dealt to each player (there may be only a single player), and two common cards are dealt face down in front of the dealer. The player examines his/her three cards, evaluates the likelihood of a ranked hand (e.g., at least a pair of tens) being achieved with those three cards and the as yet unseen common cards. The player, based on judgment of that likelihood, may elect to withdraw the first of the three-part wager or keep the wager at risk. Upon the player making that decision, and withdrawing or allowing the first wager to remain at risk, a first of the common cards is turned face up. The player then can make another decision with regard to the play of the hand and whether there is a changed potential for a ranked hand. A second portion of the three-part wager is then withdrawn or allowed to remain at risk. After this decision, the last common card is exposed, and the rank of each player's hand, including the common cards, is evaluated. Payments are made to each player based on only the rank of hand achieved and the number of wagers left on the table from the original three-part wager. As noted, at least one wager must remain, as only two parts can have been withdrawn. Wagers are paid off at rates (or odds), for example, of 1:1 for pairs of at least 10's, 2:1 for two pairs, 3:1 for three-of-a-kind, 5:1 for straights, 7:1 for flushes, 12:1 for full houses, 50:1 for four-of-a-kind, 250:1 for straight flushes, and 1000:1 for Royal Flushes. The specific payout odds can be varied and often casinos choose payout tables that help them achieve a desired percentage hold. Side bonus wagers may also be placed in which ranked hands over three-of-a-kind receive fixed or progressive bonuses, such as $25,000 for a Royal Flush. The bonus payouts and hand combinations are typically displayed on a payout table on the table surface. The winning bonus combinations are typically a higher-ranking subset of the winning base game outcomes.

The Three Card Poker® game (e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774) deals three cards to each player and three cards to the dealer, all face down. Initially one or two optional wagers may be made by the player. One such wager is for the “Pair Plus” bonus bet, a bet on achieving a winning combination included in a payout table. Another wager is the game ante on which the player competes against the dealer. The Pair Plus bet in one example of the invention is a wager that the three card hand will have a rank of at least one pair or more. The hand is paid off in multiples of the bet depending upon the rank of the hand, with up to 40:1 or more paid out for three-of-a-kind. In the ante wager, if the player wants to compete against the dealer's hand (after viewing the rank of the player's hand), an additional wager equal to one or two times the ante must be placed by the player. House rules typically dictate that the amount of the Bet is 2.times. the amount of the Ante. The dealer's hand is then exposed. If the dealer does not have a hand of at least a certain qualifying rank (e.g., at least Queen high), the dealer's hand is not in play. If the player has not made the additional wager, the ante is collected by the dealer at some point in the play of the game. If the player has made the additional wager, the ante is paid off to the player if the dealer's hand is not as high a rank as the player's hand. If the dealer's hand has qualified, and the dealer's hand is higher than the player's hand, then the ante and the additional wager are collected by the house. If the dealer's hand qualifies (e.g., at least Queen high) and is lower than the player's hand rank, both the ante and additional wager are paid off, with multiples payable to the ante wager for certain high ranking hands (e.g., straights, flushes, straight flushes, three-of-a-kind, etc.). The ranking of the various poker hands is different in the three card game than in five card poker games.

One of the more successful modern casino playing card games having a poker component has been Three-Card Poker™ games and their variations. Among the variations of this game are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,685,774; 6,012,719; 6,237,916; 6,345,823; 6,698,759; and 7,175,180. Among the methods of playing that game include the following:

A method of playing a wagering game, includes: placing a first single part wager to participate in a casino three-card poker-type game; a dealer dealing a hand consisting of three cards to each player who placed a first wager; and resolving each player's three card hand according to a predetermined hierarchy of poker hands. A more complex variant includes a method of playing a card game, having the steps of:

(a) receiving a first wager from a player that a first outcome will occur; (b) receiving a second wager from the player that a second outcome will occur, wherein: both the first wager and the second wager must be received to play the game, a larger of the first wager and the second wager is a primary wager, and a smaller of the first wager and the second wager is a secondary wager, and the primary wager cannot exceed a predetermined multiple of the secondary wager; (c) dealing hands of cards to the player and to a dealer; (d) receiving an optional third wager from the player, wherein if the third wager is not received, the player forfeiting at least one of the first wager and the second wager; (e) comparing the dealer's hand with the player's hand, (e1) if the player's hand is higher than the dealer's hand, paying the player an amount relative to the third wager and one of the first wager and the second wager, and (e2) if the player's hand is lower than the dealer's hand, the player forfeiting the third wager and the at least one of the first wager and the second wager; and (f) determining whether the player's hand exceeds a first predetermined rank, (f1) if the player's hand exceeds the first predetermined rank, paying the player an amount relative to the other of the first wager and the second wager, and (f2) if the player's hand does not exceed the first predetermined rank, the player forfeiting the other of the first wager and the second wager.

It is desirable to offer newer and simpler poker-type wagering games suitable for casino table play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wagering event requires a first and second wager to receive a partial hand for a player position and a dealer position. After receipt of the partial hand, a play wager must be made at the player position for the event to continue to a potentially positive conclusion, or the first and second wagers are taken by the dealer position. Cards are dealt to complete the hands and poker ranks in the player hand and dealer hand are compared and wagers resolved, including by a comparison with poker ranks in a paytable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an electronic gaming machine on which the gaming method may be executed.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic for an electronic system for enabling play of the gaming method described herein.

FIG. 1B shows another schematic for an electronic system for enabling play of the gaming method described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A method of performing a wagering event uses playing cards. Playing cards are typically provided as 52-cards having thirteen different ranks (e.g., A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King) and four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs). Steps in the method may include:

-   -   a) providing a set of playing cards (at least a single deck of         52 cards or (if other variations are used in the event) 52-cards         plus one or two jokers;     -   b) placing two separate compulsory wagers at a player position.         The two separate wagers are:         -   i) a first ante wager in an underlying poker rank             competition of the player position hand rank of playing             cards against a dealer position hand rank of plying cards;         -   ii) a second wager based on a final poker hand rank at the             player position against a paytable, the second wager being             exactly equal in value to the first game wager. The wagers             may be allowed to relatively vary in size, usually by no             more than a multiple of 5 times;     -   c) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set         of playing cards at the player position. A partial hand is less         than all cards useful for or necessary for or desirable for         providing the poker hand used in the final outcomes of the         wagering event. For example, if a three-card poker game is         played, the partial hand may be an initial one or two cards, and         the additional cards needed to make a complete hand in         three-card poker type comparisons would be two cards or one         card, respectively;     -   d) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set         of playing cards at the dealer position. The same concept of         “partial hand” exists for a dealer hand. However, in some games,         to increase volatility the dealer may be given six cards in a         five-card game, and the paytables for the bonus ranks on a side         bet wager can be respectively increased;     -   e) placing a play wager at least equal to the first ante wager         at the player position and providing additional random playing         cards from the set of playing cards and completing a player hand         at the player position. Amounts of the play wager may be allowed         as multiples of the first ante wager, such as 1×, 2×, 3×, 4× and         5× the first ante wager;     -   f) if a next step includes not placing a play wager at the         player position, then the dealer position collects at least one         of the first ante wager and the second wager (usually both),         thus concluding a round of the wagering event; and     -   g) if the additional random playing cards were received at the         player position in e), the event is continued by providing         additional random playing cards from the set of playing cards         and completing a dealer hand at the dealer position, then         resolving the first ante wager and the play wager with a direct         comparison of poker ranks in the completed player hand and the         completed dealer hand, with a relatively higher poker rank in         the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer         hand poker rank winning at least 1:1 on the first ante wager and         the play wager; with a relatively lower poker rank in the         completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand         poker rank losing both the first ante wager, the second wager         and the play wager; and a tie between the poker rank in the         completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand         poker rank pushing both the first ante wager, the second wager         and the play wager; and the poker rank of the completed player         hand being compared against a paytable identifying poker ranks,         and with a relatively higher poker rank in the completed player         hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank         resolving the second wager to determine odds to be paid against         attainment of ranks listed in the paytable, with the second         wager being a push if no at least minimum poker hand rank is         present in the completed player hand.

The method may be performed where the player partial hand consists of exactly two random playing cards, and where the dealer partial hand consists of exactly one or exactly two or exactly three random playing cards, with at least one of the exactly one or exactly two or exactly three random playing cards in the dealer partial hand being exposed to general view.

The additional random playing cards in e) and g) may consist of exactly enough (a completing number of) random playing cards to complete a hand of three random playing cards in a 3-card game, 4-card game or even 5-card game.

As previously noted, the set of playing cards may be one or more (e.g., multiple) sets of standard decks of 52 playing cards, even with one or two additional jokers (total or for each deck). The method may have the completed player hand consisting of exactly three, four or five random playing cards.

A system for providing a wagering event with playing cards for the method described above may include:

-   -   i. a gaming table with a playing surface providing markings on         the playing surface identifying player position;     -   ii. the gaming table playing surface identifying positions at         multiple player positions for the first game wager, the second         wager and the play wager;     -   iii. a source of random playing cards on the gaming table;     -   iv. markings on the playing surface identifying player position;         and     -   v. a display identifying odds resolving the second wager.

The system may have a second display identifying a paytable with odds to be paid for poker ranks in the completed player hand. The method and system enable the second wager to be resolved against a paytable according to ranges of:

SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH

The method may use a preferred paytable according to ranges of:

SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush 40 to 1 through 60 to 1 Straight Flush 25 to 1 through 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 10 to 1 through 25 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 4 to 1 through 5 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 3 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH

A more preferred resolution of the second wager is against a paytable according to ranges of:

SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush 50 to 1 Straight Flush 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 25 to 1 Straight  5 to 1 Flush  4 to 1 Suited Pair  3 to 1 Any Pair  1 to 1 High Card PUSH

A method of performing a wagering event using playing cards may be further described, using definitions and examples given above as:

-   -   a) providing a set of playing cards;     -   b) placing two separate compulsory wagers at a player position,         the two separate wagers comprising:         -   i) a first ante wager in an underlying poker rank             competition of the player position hand rank of playing             cards against a dealer position hand rank of plying cards;         -   ii) a second wager based on a final poker hand rank at the             player position against a paytable;     -   c) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set         of playing cards at the player position;     -   d) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set         of playing cards at the dealer position;     -   e) placing a play wager at least equal to the first ante wager         at the player position and providing additional random playing         cards from the set of playing cards and completing a player hand         at the player position;     -   f) not placing a play wager at the player position, and the         dealer position collecting at least one of the first ante wager         and the second wager, concluding a round of the wagering event;         and     -   g) if the additional random playing cards were received in e),         providing additional random playing cards from the set of         playing cards and completing a dealer hand at the dealer         position, then resolving the first ante wager and the play wager         with a direct comparison of poker ranks in the completed player         hand and the completed dealer hand, with a relatively higher         poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the         completed dealer hand poker rank winning at least 1:1 on the         first ante wager and the play wager; with a relatively lower         poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the         completed dealer hand poker rank losing both the first ante         wager and the play wager; and a tie between the poker rank in         the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer         hand poker rank pushing both the first ante wager and the play         wager; and the poker rank of the completed player hand being         compared against a paytable identifying poker ranks, and         resolving the second wager to determine odds to be paid against         attainment of ranks listed in the paytable.

The game is referred to herein, for matters of convenience as Super Three Card™ (STC) poker game and may be a new house banked (or player banked) poker style game where players create a three card hand dealt from a preferably multi-deck shoe. The hands are played in an underlying manner of physical arrangements of players, dealers, playing card sources and chip placement similar to games played against the house, such as Three Card Poker™ games, Four-card Poker™ games, Crazy-4-Poker™ game and the like, with the unique additions of hand play and wagers described herein, such as addition of various Super Hands such as, suited pairs and suited three-of-a-kind hands. Additional versions of STC will follow that include a Bonus Wager and/or a Progressive Jackpot.

Super Three Card may be dealt as follows:

-   -   1. The underlying play may use either single or multiple         complete sets (decks) of standard playing cards, such as two         (2), four (4), six (6) or eight (8) standard decks of playing         cards dealt from a shoe or directly from a batch or continuous         shuffler.     -   2. Player SHOULD make EQUAL wagers on the ANTE and BET circles.         Any/all Bonus Bets remain optional wagers and their size may be         selected from a range of available wagers of may be a single         required value for each player.     -   3. In sequence starting from the dealer's left, the dealer deals         the partial hand such as two cards (one at a time or in a batch)         to each player, preferably FACE UP and one card FACE UP to the         dealer (as a single card or as one of two or three cards).     -   4. Each player then determines if he/she wants to continue or         end PLAY by placing or not placing, respectively, a wager equal         to his/her ANTE wager on the PLAY circle or FOLDS. If the player         FOLDS, the player loses his ANTE and BET wagers and the wagers         are collected by the dealer and placed into the chip tray and         the player's partial hand, such as the two cards (2) are         collected and placed in the discard rack.     -   5. For each player that has placed a wager in the PLAY circle,         the dealer deals an additional card(s) FACE UP (completing the         three card hand) and additional cards (1, 2 or even 3) FACE UP         to himself completing his three card hand.     -   6. Starting from the dealer's right or left, the dealer compares         his hand to the player's hand. If the dealer's hand is better         (based on the rankings provided in the paytable, including suit         rankings in pairs), the player loses and the dealer collects his         ANTE, BET and PLAY wagers and places them in the chip tray. If         the player's hand is better (based on the rankings below), the         player wins and the dealer pays his ANTE, BET and PLAY wagers as         specified by the paytable. Please note, when the player hand is         higher rank than the dealer's hand, the BET wager is a PUSH         unless the player's hand is a PAIR or better. After the dealer         pays the ANTE, PLAY and either pays the BET or indicates a PUSH         by touching his hand next to the BET wager, the player's cards         are collected and placed in the discard rack.     -   7. Dealer repeats the procedure for the each player until all         hands wagers have either been paid or collected.

SUPER THREE CARD HAND RANKINGS Royal Flush (Ace, King and Queen of Same Suit) Straight Flush Three-of-a-Kind Suited Three-of-a-Kind Straight Flush Suited Pair Pair High Card

PREFERRED SUPER THREE CARD BET WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush 50 to 1 Straight Flush 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 40 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 30 to 1 Straight  5 to 1 Flush  4 to 1 Suited Pair  3 to 1 Pair  1 to 1 High Card PUSH

BONUS Optional Side Bet

a BONUS wager may be added to STC. The BONUS wager must be made by the player prior to any cards being dealt. The BONUS wager must be within the Minimum and Maximum limits posted on the table.

The BONUS wager is LOST and collected by the dealer if the player:

-   -   FOLDS after receiving his first two cards;     -   Is not comprised of one of the hands listed in the Posted         Paytable (either printed on the layout or on an adjacent sign).

The BONUS wager on a 3-card hand is PAID if the player has one of the following hands:

BONUS PAYTABLE Royal Flush 100 to 1  Straight Flush 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 50 to 1 Straight 10 to 1

A couple of notes on this paytable:

-   -   1. The game is dealt from multiple (e.g., 6) decks (although         more or fewer could be used with different paytables)     -   2. If multidecks are used, then suited three of a kinds and         pairs are distinguished from regular three of a kinds and pairs.     -   3. A Suited Pair beats a flush

In addition, there is one change to the game that is desirable. If the player elects not to make the play wager and complete the hand, then the ante wager is lost but the second mandatory big win wager is pushed and returned to the player. So, if the player makes the wager, we refer to this as PLAYING, while if the player doesn't make the play wager, we refer to this as SURRENDERING.

The game may be played with physical playing cards or with virtual electronic gaming apparatus, mixed physical and electronic systems or on-line electronic gaming systems.

This method may use physical playing cards wherein the randomization is effected by shuffling of the physical playing cards, as by manual shuffling or an electromechanical shuffler. The physical playing cards are preferably a single deck of physical playing cards and randomization is effected by automated electromechanical shuffling of the physical playing cards. The playing cards may be virtual playing cards and the method is performed on a system comprising a processor, a video display screen and player input controls and the processor displays hands at a virtual player position and a virtual dealer position and a random number generator provides random individual cards for the first subset of playing cards and the second subset of playing cards. The set of playing cards should comprise at least a standard deck of playing cards, fifty-two cards having four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs) having ranks from 2 to Ace. Multiple decks and/or specialty cards may also be included with the deck. The deck(s) must be randomized by shuffling to provide cards in a random order. The transformation of cards into a random order must be done before the play of each round of the game so that the cards provided cannot be predicted with any significant degree of certainty. The dealer controls the play of the game and dictates the rules of play of the game. The dealer will not allow cards to be dealt to player positions unless the appropriate wager is verified by the dealer. The dealer segments the shuffled set of playing cards into random content subsets of exactly the number of cards that the dealer must provide in each step of the method. The cards may be manually dealt or automatically dealt by a shuffling apparatus. The shuffling apparatus may be a batch shuffler or a continuous shuffler. Cards may be provided one at a time from a delivery position in the shuffler, entire randomized deck(s) may be provided from the shufflers, or individual hands of exactly three cards for delivery to individual player positions and the dealer position. There are a number of variations in the play of the game that may be used.

The shuffling may be performed by a number of various methods, including manual shuffling to produce a randomized set of playing cards. The automatic shufflers may operate by either actually shuffling a portion of or entire set of playing cards (e.g., one or more decks of playing cards), or by providing hands or subsets of playing cards randomly out of the original complete set of playing cards. The cards may be batch shuffled or continuously shuffled (returned, spent cards from previous hands are returned to the machine and randomly distributed among cards already in the machine). The shuffling mechanism may be accomplished by use of carousels (or linear moving stacked arrays) of multiple compartments into which cards are inserted (randomly or in predetermined locations among the compartments) and then unloaded from the compartments (randomly or in predetermined order of compartments) so that random hands or subsets of playing cards are distributed to a delivery area for distribution by the dealer. The cards may also be delivered to a delivery tray by random removal (e.g., random ejection as understood in the art, or random removal by any other technology) from the original set and delivery of the randomly withdrawn/removed cards to the delivery tray to form random hands or random subsets in the delivery tray.

The game may also be played as a video gaming system, with either a single player terminal or multiple player terminals against a dealer hand. Multiplayer playstations with 4-7 players at seats before a virtual dealer on a screen may also be used.

Computer-Based Implementations

Methods of the present invention may be implemented in computer hardware, software, or computer hardware and software. A most common form of computer implementation is a stand-alone, single player electronic gaming machine with electronic player controls and one or more video output screens.

In computer-based embodiments, the gaming device preferably includes at least one processor, such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, a suitable integrated circuit or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC's) or Field Programmable Gated Arrays (FPGA's). The processor is in communication with or operable to access or to exchange signals with at least one data storage or memory device, and/or a player monitor or monitors. In one embodiment, the processor and the memory device reside within the cabinet of a gaming device. Multiple gaming devices are typically connected to a casino information network.

The memory device stores program code and instructions, executable by the processor, to control the gaming device. The memory device also stores other data such as image data, event data, player input data, random or pseudo-random number generators, pay-table data or information, House Ways distributions and applicable game rules that relate to the play of the gaming device. In one embodiment, the memory device includes random access memory (RAM): which can include non-volatile RAM (NVRAM): magnetic RAM (MRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), and other forms as commonly understood in the gaming industry. In one embodiment, the memory device includes read only memory (ROM). In one embodiment, the memory device includes flash memory and/or EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). Any other suitable magnetic, optical, and/or semiconductor memory may operate in conjunction with the gaming device disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, part or all of the program code and/or operating data described above can be stored in a detachable or removable memory device, including, but not limited to, a suitable cartridge, disk, CD ROM, DVD, or USB memory device.

In other embodiments, part or all of the program code and/or operating data described above can be downloaded to the memory device through a suitable network. In one embodiment, an operator or a player can use such a removable memory device in a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computing device, or another computerized platform to implement the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the gaming device or gaming machine disclosed herein is operable over a wireless network, for example part of a wireless gaming system. The gaming machine may be a hand-held device, a mobile device, or any other suitable wireless device that enables a player to play any suitable game at a variety of different locations. It should be appreciated that a gaming device or gaming machine as disclosed herein may be a device that has obtained approval from a regulatory gaming commission or a device that has not obtained approval from a regulatory gaming commission. It should be appreciated that the processor and memory device may be collectively referred to herein as a “processor” or “computer” or “controller” or “game controller.”

In one embodiment, as discussed in more detail below, the gaming device randomly generates awards and/or other game outcomes based on probability data. In one such embodiment, this random determination is provided through utilization of a random number generator (RNG), such as a true random number generator, a pseudo random number generator, or other suitable randomization process. In one embodiment, each award or other game outcome is associated with a probability and the gaming device generates the award or other game outcome to be provided to the player based on the associated probabilities. In this embodiment, since the gaming device generates outcomes randomly or based upon one or more probability calculations, there is no certainty that the gaming device will ever provide the player with any specific award or other game outcome. It is also possible for templates or weighted templates of sets of tiles or paylines as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,159,096 and 6,117,009 (Yoseloff, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety) which disclose a method of configuring a video output gaming device to randomly generate game outcomes. The method includes the steps of selecting a set of game symbols, assigning a probability of occurrence to each symbol, selecting a plurality of outcome templates, each template comprising X variables, selecting a probability of occurrence for each outcome template, assigning a subset of symbols from the set of game symbols to each template for filling the positions, defining payouts for selected outcomes, and configuring a video output gaming device, which randomly selects a template, randomly selects a symbol for each variable in the template from the subset of game symbols assigned to the selected template, randomly fills at least a portion of the positions in the template and displays the outcome on a video output display. A video output gaming device programmed to randomly select a template, randomly select symbols to define the variables and randomly display the selected symbols is also disclosed.

In one embodiment, described in more detail below as a “chipless gaming platform”, the gaming device includes one or more display devices that are mounted into a gaming table surface and are controlled by the processor in addition to or separately from the individual player monitors. The display devices are preferably connected to or mounted into the table structure. This may include a central display device which displays a primary game, dealer images, jackpot information, or information that is not specifically related to the game, such as sports information or winning events at other tables. This display device may also display any suitable secondary game associated with the primary game as well as information relating to the primary or secondary game (e.g., side bets, bonuses, jackpots and the like).

An alternative embodiment may include a central horizontal game display device and a vertically oriented virtual dealer display device as in Shuffle Master, Inc.'s Table Master™ gaming system. The central display device may display the primary game, any suitable secondary game associated or not associated with the primary game and/or information relating to the primary or secondary game. These display devices may also serve as digital glass operable to advertise games or other aspects of the gaming establishment. The gaming device includes a credit display 20 which displays a player's current number of credits, cash, account balance, or the equivalent. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes a bet display displays a player's amount wagered. In one embodiment, as described in more detail below, the gaming device includes a player tracking display which displays information regarding a player's play tracking status.

In yet another embodiment, at least one display device may be a mobile display device, such as a PDA or tablet PC that enables play of at least a portion of the primary or secondary game at a location remote from the gaming device. The display devices may include, without limitation, a monitor, a television display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) a display based on light emitting diodes (LEDs), a display based on a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), a display based on polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), a display based on a plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitters (SEDs), a display including a projected and/or reflected image, or any other suitable electronic device or display mechanism.

In one embodiment, as described in more detail below, the display device includes a touch-screen with an associated touch-screen controller. The display devices may be of any suitable size and configuration, such as a square, a rectangle or an elongated rectangle. The display devices of the gaming device are configured to display at least one and preferably a plurality of game or other suitable images, symbols and indicia such as any visual representation or exhibition of the movement of objects such as mechanical, virtual, or video reels and wheels, dynamic lighting, video images, images of people, characters, places, things, faces of cards, images of dealers and the like.

Other forms of the invention are in the form of game software that is implemented in a variety of formats, such as internet gaming, PC practice play, hand-held game devices, wireless gaming devices and the like.

Chipless Gaming Table Implementation

One enabling system useful in the practice of the present invention is the use of playing cards with Chinese domino symbols which can be distributed for use with a system marketed under the name i-TABLE™ by Shuffle Master, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nev. That system includes: a) a physical gaming table; b) player monitors at each player position; c) a playing card reading and delivery system (e.g., commercially available shufflers and playing card delivery shoes with reading capability as sold under the Trade names of One2Six™ shuffler, Ace™ shuffler, I-DEAL™ shuffler, I-SHOE™ delivery shoe, etc.); d) a processor receiving information (numbers of cards, rank of cards, suits of cards, etc.) from the card reading and delivery systems; e) communication connectivity (hardwired or wireless) between necessary combinations of the card reading/delivery systems and the processor, the processor and the individual player monitors, and/or the card reading/delivery systems and the video monitors; and f) software in the processor that defines predetermined advantage for distributions of playing cards into multiple hands, game rules, hand history, and the like.

With regard to software f), it is understood in the practice of the present technology that this is not complex software that reads individual player hand cards and determines advantageous card distributions for a first time by extensive calculations.

A preferable card handling device for administering a video or even reel-type-style game is a hand-forming shuffler with integrated card recognition technology, from which playing cards are supplied, with a least a rank/count (and preferable also suit) of individual packs of cards are known before the cards are removed and delivered to player positions and/or the dealer position. The card delivery system 102 is in communication with the controller 128 by wired or wireless communication methods. Communication between the various system components is not limited to electronic or electrical signals, but may include optical signals, audio signals, magnetic transmission or the like.

The individual player position processors (not shown) are preferable graphics processors and not full content CPUs as a cost saving, space saving, and efficiency benefit. With the reduced capacity in the processor as compared to a CPU, there is actually reduced likelihood of tampering and fraudulent input.

Turning next to FIG. 1, a video gaming machine 2 of the present invention is shown. Machine 2 includes a main cabinet 4, which generally surrounds the machine interior (not shown) and is viewable by users. The main cabinet includes a main door 8 on the front of the machine, which opens to provide access to the interior of the machine. Attached to the main door are player-input switches or buttons 32, a coin acceptor 28, and a bill validator 30, a coin tray 38, and a display area including a mechanical gaming system (or less preferably a separate electronic game) 40. There may be an overlay of touchscreen functionality on the separate electronic game 40 or some of the buttons 32 may be functional on the separate mechanical gaming system 40. That separate mechanical gaming system may be in a relatively vertical viewing position as shown or in a more horizontal (table like) display unit. Viewable through the main door is a video display monitor 34 and an information panel 36. The display monitor 34 will typically be a cathode ray tube, high resolution flat-panel LCD, LED, plasma screen or other conventional electronically controlled video monitor. The information panel 36 may be a back-lit, silk screened glass panel with lettering to indicate general game information including, for example, a game denomination (e.g. $0.25 or $1). The bill validator 30, player-input switches 32, video display monitor 34, and information panel are devices used to play a game on the game machine 2. The devices are controlled by circuitry (e.g. the master gaming controller) housed inside the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.

Many different types of games, including mechanical slot games, video slot games, video poker, video black jack, video pachinko and lottery, may be provided with gaming machines of this invention. In particular, the gaming machine 2 may be operable to provide a play of many different instances of games of chance. The instances may be differentiated according to themes, sounds, graphics, type of game (e.g., slot game vs. card game), denomination, number of paylines, maximum jackpot, progressive or non-progressive, bonus games, etc. The gaming machine 2 may be operable to allow a player to select a game of chance to play from a plurality of instances available on the gaining machine. For example, the gaming machine may provide a menu with a list of the instances of games that are available for play on the gaming machine and a player may be able to select from the list a first instance of a game of chance that they wish to play.

The various instances of games available for play on the gaming machine 2 may be stored as game software on a mass storage device in the gaming machine or may be generated on a remote gaming device but then displayed on the gaming machine. The gaming machine 2 may executed game software, such as but not limited to video streaming software that allows the game to be displayed on the gaming machine. When an instance is stored on the gaming machine 2, it may be loaded from the mass storage device into a RAM for execution. In some cases, after a selection of an instance, the game software that allows the selected instance to be generated may be downloaded from a remote gaining device, such as another gaming machine.

The gaming machine includes a top box 6, which sits on top of the main cabinet 4. The top box 6 houses a number of devices, which may be used to add features to a game being played on the gaming machine 2, including speakers 10, 12, 14, a ticket printer 18 which prints bar-coded tickets 20, a key pad 22 for entering player tracking information, a florescent display 16 for displaying player tracking information, a card reader 24 for entering a magnetic striped card containing player tracking information, and a video display screen 42. The ticket printer 18 may be used to print tickets for a cashless ticketing system. Further, the top box 6 may house different or additional devices than shown in the FIG. 1. For example, the top box may contain a bonus wheel or a back-lit silk screened panel which may be used to add bonus features to the game being played on the gaming machine. As another example, the top box may contain a display for a progressive jackpot offered on the gaming machine. During a game, these devices are controlled and powered, in part, by circuitry (e.g. a master gaming controller) housed within the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.

Understand that gaming machine 2 is but one example from a wide range of gaming machine designs on which the present invention may be implemented. For example, not all suitable gaming machines have top boxes or player tracking features. Further, some gaming machines have only a single game display mechanical or video, while others are designed for bar tables and have displays that face upwards. As another example, a game may be generated in on a host computer and may be displayed on a remote terminal or a remote gaming device. The remote gaming device may be connected to the host computer via a network of some type such as a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet or the Internet. The remote gaming device may be a portable gaming device such as but not limited to a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, and a wireless game player. Images rendered from 3-D gaming environments may be displayed on portable gaming devices that are used to play a game of chance. Further a gaining machine or server may include gaming logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render an image from a virtual camera in a 3-D gaming environments stored on the remote gaining device and to display the rendered image on a display located on the remote gaming device. Thus, those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention, as described below, can be deployed on most any gaming machine now available or hereafter developed.

Some preferred gaming machines are implemented with special features and/or additional circuitry that differentiates them from general-purpose computers (e.g., desktop PC's and laptops). Gaming machines are highly regulated to ensure fairness and, in many cases, gaming machines are operable to dispense monetary awards of multiple millions of dollars. Therefore, to satisfy security and regulatory requirements in a gaming environment, hardware and software architectures may be implemented in gaming machines that differ significantly from those of general-purpose computers. A description of gaming machines relative to general-purpose computing machines and some examples of the additional (or different) components and features found in gaming machines are described below.

At first glance, one might think that adapting PC technologies to the gaming industry would be a simple proposition because both PCs and gaming machines employ microprocessors that control a variety of devices. However, because of such reasons as 1) the regulatory requirements that are placed upon gaming machines, 2) the harsh environment in which gaming machines operate, 3) security requirements and 4) fault tolerance requirements, adapting PC technologies to a gaming machine can be quite difficult. Further, techniques and methods for solving a problem in the PC industry, such as device compatibility and connectivity issues, might not be adequate in the gaining environment. For instance, a fault or a weakness tolerated in a PC, such as security holes in software or frequent crashes, may not be tolerated in a gaming machine because in a gaming machine these faults can lead to a direct loss of funds from the gaming machine, such as stolen cash or loss of revenue when the gaming machine is not operating properly.

For the purposes of illustration, a few differences between PC systems and gaming systems will be described. A first difference between gaming machines and common PC based computers systems is that gaming machines are designed to be state-based systems. In a state-based system, the system stores and maintains its current state in a non-volatile memory, such that, in the event of a power failure or other malfunction the gaming machine will return to its current state when the power is restored. For instance, if a player was shown an award for a game of chance and, before the award could be provided to the player the power failed, the gaming machine, upon the restoration of power, would return to the state where the award is indicated. As anyone who has used a PC, knows, PCs are not state machines and a majority of data is usually lost when a malfunction occurs. This requirement affects the software and hardware design on a gaming machine.

A second important difference between gaming machines and common PC based computer systems is that for regulation purposes, the software on the gaining machine used to generate the game of chance and operate the gaming machine has been designed to be static and monolithic to prevent cheating by the operator of gaming machine. For instance, one solution that has been employed in the gaming industry to prevent cheating and satisfy regulatory requirements has been to manufacture a gaming machine that can use a proprietary processor running instructions to generate the game of chance from an EPROM or other form of non-volatile memory. The coding instructions on the EPROM are static (non-changeable) and must be approved by a gaming regulators in a particular jurisdiction and installed in the presence of a person representing the gaming jurisdiction. Any changes to any part of the software required to generate the game of chance, such as adding a new device driver used by the master gaming controller to operate a device during generation of the game of chance can require a new EPROM to be burnt, approved by the gaming jurisdiction and reinstalled on the gaming machine in the presence of a gaming regulator. Regardless of whether the EPROM solution is used, to gain approval in most gaming jurisdictions, a gaming machine must demonstrate sufficient safeguards that prevent an operator or player of a gaming machine from manipulating hardware and software in a manner that gives them an unfair and some cases an illegal advantage. The gaming machine should have a means to determine if the code it will execute is valid. If the code is not valid, the gaming machine must have a means to prevent the code from being executed. The code validation requirements in the gaming industry affect both hardware and software designs on gaming machines.

A third important difference between gaming machines and common PC based computer systems is the number and kinds of peripheral devices used on a gaming machine are not as great as on PC based computer systems. Traditionally, in the gaming industry, gaming machines have been relatively simple in the sense that the number of peripheral devices and the number of functions the gaming machine has been limited. Further, in operation, the functionality of gaming machines were relatively constant once the gaming machine was deployed, i.e., new peripherals devices and new gaming software were infrequently added to the gaming machine. This differs from a PC where users will go out and buy different combinations of devices and software from different manufacturers and connect them to a PC to suit their needs depending on a desired application. Therefore, the types of devices connected to a PC may vary greatly from user to user depending in their individual requirements and may vary significantly over time.

Although the variety of devices available for a PC may be greater than on a gaming machine, gaming machines still have unique device requirements that differ from a PC, such as device security requirements not usually addressed by PCs. For instance, monetary devices, such as coin dispensers, bill validators and ticket printers and computing devices that are used to govern the input and output of cash to a gaming machine have security requirements that are not typically addressed in PCs. Therefore, many PC techniques and methods developed to facilitate device connectivity and device compatibility do not address the emphasis placed on security in the gaming industry.

To address some of the issues described above, a number of hardware/software components and architectures are utilized in gaming machines that are not typically found in general purpose computing devices, such as PCs. These hardware/software components and architectures, as described below in more detail, include but are not limited to watchdog timers, voltage monitoring systems, state-based software architecture and supporting hardware, specialized communication interfaces, security monitoring and trusted memory.

A watchdog timer is normally used in gaming machines to provide a software failure detection mechanism. In a normally operating system, the operating software periodically accesses control registers in the watchdog timer subsystem to “re-trigger” the watchdog. Should the operating software fail to access the control registers within a preset timeframe, the watchdog timer will timeout and generate a system reset. Typical watchdog timer circuits contain a loadable timeout counter register to allow the operating software to set the timeout interval within a certain range of time. A differentiating feature of the some preferred circuits is that the operating software cannot completely disable the function of the watchdog timer. In other words, the watchdog timer always functions from the time power is applied to the board.

Gaining computer platforms preferably use several power supply voltages to operate portions of the computer circuitry. These can be generated in a central power supply or locally on the computer board. If any of these voltages falls out of the tolerance limits of the circuitry they power, unpredictable operation of the computer may result. Though most modem general-purpose computers include voltage monitoring circuitry, these types of circuits only report voltage status to the operating software, Out of tolerance voltages can cause software malfunction, creating a potential uncontrolled condition in the gaming computer. Gaming machines typically have power supplies with tighter voltage margins than that required by the operating circuitry. In addition, the voltage monitoring circuitry implemented in gaming computers typically has two thresholds of control. The first threshold generates a software event that can be detected by the operating software and an error condition generated. This threshold is triggered when a power supply voltage falls out of the tolerance range of the power supply, but is still within the operating range of the circuitry. The second threshold is set when a power supply voltage falls out of the operating tolerance of the circuitry. In this case, the circuitry generates a reset, halting operation of the computer.

The standard method of operation for slot machine game software is to use a state machine. Different functions of the game (bet, play, result, points in the graphical presentation, etc.) may be defined as a state. When a game moves from one state to another, critical data regarding the game software is stored in a custom non-volatile memory subsystem. This is critical to ensure the player's wager and credits are preserved and to minimize potential disputes in the event of a malfunction on the gaming machine.

In general, the gaming machine does not advance from a first state to a second state until critical information that allows the first state to be reconstructed is stored. This feature allows the game to recover operation to the current state of play in the event of a malfunction, loss of power, etc. that occurred just prior to the malfunction. After the state of the gaming machine is restored during the play of a game of chance, game play may resume and the game may be completed in a manner that is no different than if the malfunction had not occurred. Typically, battery backed RAM devices are used to preserve this critical data although other types of non-volatile memory devices may be employed. These memory devices are not used in typical general-purpose computers.

As described in the preceding paragraph, when a malfunction occurs during a game of chance, the gaming machine may be restored to a state in the game of chance just prior to when the malfunction occurred. The restored state may include metering information and graphical information that was displayed on the gaming machine in the state prior to the malfunction. For example, when the malfunction occurs during the play of a card game after the cards have been dealt, the gaming machine may be restored with the cards that were previously displayed as part of the card game. As another example, a bonus game may be triggered during the play of a game of chance where a player is required to make a number of selections on a video display screen. When a malfunction has occurred after the player has made one or more selections, the gaming machine may be restored to a state that shows the graphical presentation at the just prior to the malfunction including an indication of selections that have already been made by the player. In general, the gaming machine may be restored to any state in a plurality of states that occur in the game of chance that occurs while the game of chance is played or to states that occur between the play of a game of chance.

Game history information regarding previous games played such as an amount wagered, the outcome of the game and so forth may also be stored in a non-volatile memory device. The information stored in the non-volatile memory may be detailed enough to reconstruct a portion of the graphical presentation that was previously presented on the gaming machine and the state of the gaming machine (e.g., credits) at the time the game of chance was played. The game history information may be utilized in the event of a dispute. For example, a player may decide that in a previous game of chance that they did not receive credit for an award that they believed they won. The game history information may be used to reconstruct the state of the gaming machine prior, during and/or after the disputed game to demonstrate whether the player was correct or not in their assertion.

Another feature of gaining machines, such as gaining computers, is that they often contain unique interfaces, including serial interfaces, to connect to specific subsystems internal and external to the slot machine. The serial devices may have electrical interface requirements that differ from the “standard” EIA 232 serial interfaces provided by general-purpose computers. These interfaces may include EIA 485, EIA 422, Fiber Optic Serial, optically coupled serial interfaces, current loop style serial interfaces, etc. In addition, to conserve serial interfaces internally in the slot machine, serial devices may be connected in a shared, daisy-chain fashion where multiple peripheral devices are connected to a single serial channel.

The serial interfaces may be used to transmit information using communication protocols that are unique to the gaming industry. For example, the Netplex™ system of IGT is a proprietary communication protocol used for serial communication between gaming devices. As another example, SAS is a communication protocol used to transmit information, such as metering information, from a gaming machine to a remote device. Often SAS is used in conjunction with a player tracking system.

Gaming machines may alternatively be treated as peripheral devices to a casino communication controller and connected in a shared daisy chain fashion to a single serial interface. In both cases, the peripheral devices are preferably assigned device addresses. If so, the serial controller circuitry must implement a method to generate or detect unique device addresses. General-purpose computer serial ports are not able to do this.

Security monitoring circuits detect intrusion into a gaming machine by monitoring security switches attached to access doors in the slot machine cabinet. Preferably, access violations result in suspension of game play and can trigger additional security operations to preserve the current state of game play. These circuits also function when power is off by use of a battery backup. In power-off operation, these circuits continue to monitor the access doors of the slot machine. When power is restored, the gaming machine can determine whether any security violations occurred while power was off, e.g., via software for reading status registers. This can trigger event log entries and further data authentication operations by the slot machine software.

Trusted memory devices are preferably included in a gaming machine computer to ensure the authenticity of the software that may be stored on less secure memory subsystems, such as mass storage devices. Trusted memory devices and controlling circuitry are typically designed to not allow modification of the code and data stored in the memory device while the memory device is installed in the slot machine. The code and data stored in these devices may include authentication algorithms, random number generators, authentication keys, operating system kernels, etc. The purpose of these trusted memory devices is to provide gaming regulatory authorities a root trusted authority within the computing environment of the slot machine that can be tracked and verified as original. This may be accomplished via removal of the trusted memory device from the slot machine computer and verification of the secure memory device contents is a separate third party verification device. Once the trusted memory device is verified as authentic, and based on the approval of the verification algorithms contained in the trusted device, the gaming machine is allowed to verify the authenticity of additional code and data that may he located in the gaming computer assembly, such as code and data stored on hard disk drives. A few details related to trusted memory devices that may be used in the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,567 titled “Process Verification,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety and for all purposes.

Mass storage devices used in a general purpose computer typically allow code and data to be read from and written to the mass storage device. In a gaming machine environment, modification of the gaming code stored on a mass storage device is strictly controlled and would only be allowed under specific maintenance type events with electronic and physical enablers required. Though this level of security could be provided by software, gaming computers that include mass storage devices preferably include hardware level mass storage data protection circuitry that operates at the circuit level to monitor attempts to modify data on the mass storage device and will generate both software and hardware error triggers should a data modification be attempted without the proper electronic and physical enablers being present.

Returning to the example of FIG. 1, when a user wishes to play the gaming machine 2, he or she inserts cash through the coin acceptor 28 or bill validator 30. Additionally, the bill validator may accept a printed ticket voucher which may be accepted by the bill validator 30 as an indicia of credit when a cashless ticketing system is used. At the start of the game, the player may enter playing tracking information using the card reader 24, the keypad 22, and the florescent display 16. Further, other game preferences of the player playing the game may be read from a card inserted into the card reader. During the game, the player views game information using the video display 34. Other game and prize information may also be displayed in the video display screen 42 located in the top box.

During the course of a game, a player may be required to make a number of decisions, which affect the outcome of the game. For example, a player may vary his or her wager on a particular game, select a prize for a particular game selected from a prize server, or make game decisions which affect the outcome of a particular game. The player may make these choices using the player-input switches 32, the video display screen 34 or using some other device which enables a player to input information into the gaming machine. In some embodiments, the player may be able to access various game services such as concierge services and entertainment content services using the video display screen 34 and one more input devices.

During certain game events, the gaming machine 2 may display visual and auditory effects that can be perceived by the player. These effects add to the excitement of a game, which makes a player more likely to continue playing. Auditory effects include various sounds that are projected by the speakers 10, 12, 14. Visual effects include flashing lights, strobing lights or other patterns displayed from lights on the gaming machine 2 or from lights within the separate mechanical (or electronic) separately, individually wagerable gaming system 40. After the player has completed a game, the player may receive game tokens from the coin tray 38 or the ticket 20 from the printer 18, which may be used for further games or to redeem a prize. Further, the player may receive a ticket 20 for food, merchandise, or games from the printer 18.

Another gaming network that may be used to implement some aspects of the invention is depicted in FIG. 1A. Gaming establishment 1001 could be any sort of gaming establishment, such as a casino, a card room, an airport, a store, etc. In this example, gaming network 1077 includes more than one gaming establishment, all of which are networked to game server 1022.

Here, gaming machine 1002, and the other gaming machines 1030, 1032, 1034, and 1036, include a main cabinet 1006 and a top box 1004. The main cabinet 1006 houses the main gaming elements and can also house peripheral systems, such as those that utilize dedicated gaming networks. The top box 1004 may also be used to house these peripheral systems.

The master gaming controller 1008 controls the game play on the gaming machine 1002 according to instructions and/or game data from game server 1022 or stored within gaming machine 1002 and receives or sends data to various input/output devices 1011 on the gaming machine 1002. In one embodiment, master gaming controller 1008 includes processor(s) and other apparatus of the gaming machines described above. The master gaming controller 1008 may also communicate with a display 1010.

A particular gaming entity may desire to provide network gaming services that provide some operational advantage. Thus, dedicated networks may connect gaming machines to host servers that track the performance of gaming machines under the control of the entity, such as for accounting management, electronic fund transfers (EFTs), cashless ticketing, such as EZPay™, marketing management, and data tracking, such as player tracking. Therefore, master gaming controller 1008 may also communicate with EFT system 1012, EZPay™ system, and player tracking system 1020. The systems of the gaming machine 1002 communicate the data onto the network 1022 via a communication board 1018.

It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that embodiments of the present invention could be implemented on a network with more or fewer elements than are depicted in FIG. 1A. For example, player tracking system 1020 is not a necessary feature of some implementations of the present invention. However, player tracking programs may help to sustain a game player's interest in additional game play during a visit to a gaming establishment and may entice a player to visit a gaming establishment to partake in various gaming activities. Player tracking programs provide rewards to players that typically correspond to the player's level of patronage (e.g., to the player's playing frequency and/or total amount of game plays at a given casino). Player tracking rewards may be free meals, free lodging and/or free entertainment. Player tracking information may be combined with other information that is now readily obtainable by an SBG system.

Moreover, DCU 1024 and translator 1025 are not required for all gaming establishments 1001. However, due to the sensitive nature of much of the information on a gaming network (e.g., electronic fund transfers and player tracking data) the manufacturer of a host system usually employs a particular networking language having proprietary protocols. For instance, 10-20 different companies produce player tracking host systems where each host system may use different protocols. These proprietary protocols are usually considered highly confidential and not released publicly.

Further, gaming machines are made by many different manufacturers. The communication protocols on the gaming machine are typically hard-wired into the gaming machine and each gaming machine manufacturer may utilize a different proprietary communication protocol. A gaming machine manufacturer may also produce host systems, in which case their gaming machines are compatible with their own host systems. However, in a heterogeneous gaming environment, gaming machines from different manufacturers, each with its own communication protocol, may be connected to host systems from other manufacturers, each with another communication protocol. Therefore, communication compatibility issues regarding the protocols used by the gaming machines in the system and protocols used by the host systems must be considered.

A network device that links a gaming establishment with another gaming establishment and/or a central system will sometimes be referred to herein as a “site controller.” Here, site controller 1042 provides this function for gaming establishment 1001. Site controller 1042 is connected to a central system and/or other gaming establishments via one or more networks, which may be public or private networks. Among other things, site controller 1042 communicates with game server 1022 to obtain game data, such as ball drop data, bingo card data, etc.

In the present illustration, gaming machines 1002, 1030, 1032, 1034 and 1036 are connected to a dedicated gaming network 1022. In general, the DCU 1024 functions as an intermediary between the different gaming machines on the network 1022 and the site controller 1042. In general, the DCU 1024 receives data transmitted from the gaming machines and sends the data to the site controller 1042 over a transmission path 1026. In some instances, when the hardware interface used by the gaming machine is not compatible with site controller 1042, a translator 1025 may be used to convert serial data from the DCU 1024 to a format accepted by site controller 1042. The translator may provide this conversion service to a plurality of DCUs.

Further, in some dedicated gaming networks, the DCU 1024 can receive data transmitted from site controller 1042 for communication to the gaming machines on the gaming network. The received data may be, for example, communicated synchronously to the gaming machines on the gaming network.

Here, CVT 1052 provides cashless and cashout gaming services to the gaming machines in gaming establishment 1001. Broadly speaking, CVT 1052 authorizes and validates cashless gaming machine instruments (also referred to herein as “tickets” or “vouchers”), including but not limited to tickets for causing a gaming machine to display a game result and cash-out tickets. Moreover, CVT 1052 authorizes the exchange of a cashout ticket for cash. These processes will be described in detail below. In one example, when a player attempts to redeem a cash-out ticket for cash at cashout kiosk 1044, cash out kiosk 1044 reads validation data from the cashout ticket and transmits the validation data to CVT 1052 for validation. The tickets may be printed by gaming machines, by cashout kiosk 1044, by a stand-alone printer, by CVT 1052, etc. Some gaming establishments will not have a cashout kiosk 1044. Instead, a cashout ticket could be redeemed for cash by a cashier (e.g. of a convenience store), by a gaming machine or by a specially configured CVT.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a network device that may be configured for implementing some methods of the present invention. Network device 1160 includes a master central processing unit (CPU) 1162, interfaces 1168, and a bus 1167 (e.g., a PCI bus). Generally, interfaces 1168 include ports 1169 appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In some embodiments, one or more of interfaces 1168 includes at least one independent processor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors may be, for example, ASICs or any other appropriate processors. According to some such embodiments, these independent processors perform at least some of the functions of the logic described herein. In some embodiments, one or more of interfaces 1168 control such communications-intensive tasks as encryption, decryption, compression, decompression, packetization, media control and management. By providing separate processors for the communications-intensive tasks, interfaces 1168 allow the master microprocessor 1162 efficiently to perform other functions such as routing computations, network diagnostics, security functions, etc.

The interfaces 1168 are typically provided as interface cards (sometimes referred to as “linecards”). Generally, interfaces 1168 control the sending and receiving of data packets over the network and sometimes support other peripherals used with the network device 1160. Among the interfaces that may be provided are FC interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In addition, various very high-speed interfaces may be provided, such as fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces, ASI interfaces, DHEI interfaces and the like.

When acting under the control of appropriate software or firmware, in some implementations of the invention CPU 1162 may be responsible for implementing specific functions associated with the functions of a desired network device. According to some embodiments, CPU 1162 accomplishes all these functions under the control of software including an operating system and any appropriate applications software.

CPU 1162 may include one or more processors 1163 such as a processor from the Motorola family of microprocessors or the MIPS family of microprocessors. In an alternative embodiment, processor 1163 is specially designed hardware for controlling the operations of network device 1160. In a specific embodiment, a memory 1161 (such as non-volatile RAM and/or ROM) also forms part of CPU 1162. However, there are many different ways in which memory could be coupled to the system. Memory block 1161 may be used for a variety of purposes such as, for example, caching and/or storing data, programming instructions, etc.

Regardless of network device's configuration, it may employ one or more memories or memory modules (such as, for example, memory block 1165) configured to store data, program instructions for the general-purpose network operations and/or other information relating to the functionality of the techniques described herein. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example.

Because such information and program instructions may be employed to implement the systems/methods described herein, the present invention relates to machine-readable media that include program instructions, state information, etc. for performing various operations described herein. Examples of machine-readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). The invention may also be embodied in a carrier wave traveling over an appropriate medium such as airwaves, optical lines, electric lines, etc. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher-level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter.

Although the system shown in FIG. 1B illustrates one specific network device of the present invention, it is by no means the only network device architecture on which the present invention can be implemented. For example, an architecture having a single processor that handles communications as well as routing computations, etc. is often used. Further, other types of interfaces and media could also be used with the network device. The communication path between interfaces may be bus based (as shown in FIG. 1B) or switch fabric based (such as a cross-bar).

While this invention is described in terms of preferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents that fall within the scope of the invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited to the preferred embodiments described herein, but instead that the invention should be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed:
 1. A method of performing a wagering event using playing cards comprising: a) providing a set of randomized playing cards; b) placing two separate compulsory wagers at a player position, the two separate wagers comprising: i) a first ante wager in an underlying poker rank competition of the player position hand rank of playing cards against a dealer position hand rank of plying cards; ii) a second wager based on a final poker hand rank at the player position against a paytable, the second wager being exactly equal in value to the first game wager; c) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards at the player position; d) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards at the dealer position; e) placing a play wager at least equal to the first ante wager at the player position and providing additional random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards and completing a player hand at the player position; f) not placing a play wager at the player position, and the dealer position collecting at least one of the first ante wager and the second wager, concluding a round of the wagering event; and g) if the additional random playing cards were received in e), providing additional random playing cards from the randomized set of playing cards and completing a dealer hand at the dealer position, then resolving the first ante wager and the play wager with a direct comparison of poker ranks in the completed player hand and the completed dealer hand, with a relatively higher poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank winning at least 1:1 on the first ante wager and the play wager; with a relatively lower poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank losing both the first ante wager, the second wager and the play wager; and a tie between the poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank pushing both the first ante wager, the second wager and the play wager; and the poker rank of the completed player hand being compared against a paytable identifying poker ranks, and with a relatively higher poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank resolving the second wager to determine odds to be paid against attainment of ranks listed in the paytable, with the second wager being a push if no at least minimum poker hand rank is present in the completed player hand.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the player partial hand consists of exactly two random playing cards.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dealer partial hand consists of exactly one or exactly two or exactly three random playing cards, with at least one of the exactly one or exactly two or exactly three random playing cards in the dealer partial hand being exposed to general view.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein additional random playing cards in e) and g) consist of exactly enough random playing cards to complete a hand of three random playing cards.
 5. The method of claim 3 wherein additional random playing cards in e) and g) consist of exactly enough random playing cards to complete a hand of three random playing cards.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of playing cards comprises multiple sets of standard decks of 52 playing cards.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of playing cards comprises multiple sets of standard decks of 52 playing cards with one or two additional jokers.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the completed player hand consists of exactly four random playing cards.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the completed player hand consists of exactly five random playing cards.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the set of playing cards comprises multiple sets of standard decks of 52 playing cards.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the set of playing cards comprises multiple sets of standard decks of 52 playing cards with one or two jokers.
 12. A system for providing a wagering event with playing cards for the method of claim 1 comprising: i. a gaming table with a playing surface providing markings on the playing surface identifying player position; ii. the gaming table playing surface identifying positions at multiple player positions for the first game wager, the second wager and the play wager; iii. a source of random playing cards on the gaming table; iv. markings on the playing surface identifying player position; and v. a display identifying odds resolving the second wager.
 13. The system of claim 12 having a second display identifying a paytable with odds to be paid for poker ranks in the completed player hand.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second wager is resolved against a paytable according to ranges of: SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH


15. The method of claim 2 wherein the second wager is resolved against a paytable according to ranges of: SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH


16. The method of claim 3 wherein the second wager is resolved against a paytable according to ranges of: SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH


17. The method of claim 4 wherein the second wager is resolved against a paytable according to ranges of: SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH


18. The method of claim 6 wherein the second wager is resolved against a paytable according to ranges of: SECOND WAGER PAYTABLE Royal Flush  25 to 1 through 100 to 1 Straight Flush 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind Suited 20 to 1 through 50 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 15 to 1 through 40 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 through 7 to 1 Flush 3 to 1 through 6 to 1 Suited Pair 2 to 1 through 4 to 1 Any Pair 1 to 1 High Card PUSH


19. A method of performing a wagering event using playing cards comprising: a) providing a set of randomized playing cards; b) placing two separate compulsory wagers at a player position, the two separate wagers comprising: i) a first ante wager in an underlying poker rank competition of the player position hand rank of playing cards against a dealer position hand rank of plying cards; ii) a second wager based on a final poker hand rank at the player position against a paytable; c) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards at the player position; d) providing a partial hand of random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards at the dealer position; e) placing a play wager at least equal to the first ante wager at the player position and providing additional random playing cards from the set of randomized playing cards and completing a player hand at the player position; f) not placing a play wager at the player position, and the dealer position collecting at least one of the first ante wager and the second wager, concluding a round of the wagering event; and g) if the additional random playing cards were received in e), providing additional random playing cards from the set of playing cards and completing a dealer hand at the dealer position, then resolving the first ante wager and the play wager with a direct comparison of poker ranks in the completed player hand and the completed dealer hand, with a relatively higher poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank winning at least 1:1 on the first ante wager and the play wager; with a relatively lower poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank losing both the first ante wager and the play wager; and a tie between the poker rank in the completed player hand as compared to the completed dealer hand poker rank pushing both the first ante wager and the play wager; and the poker rank of the completed player hand being compared against a paytable identifying poker ranks, and resolving the second wager to determine odds to be paid against attainment of ranks listed in the paytable. 